The Internet vs Zoomers

The internet. Can you imagine not knowing a world without the internet? It's been a part of your life since the moment you were born. If you can relate to this then you are from Generation Z. Gen Zers were born between 1997 and 2012 and have never had to live without the internet.

As technology advances so do the Zoomers (do they hate being called that like the Boomers do?). As technology reshapes the everyday lives of the older generations, Zoomers are just living life like they always have...with technology.

Many things have been said about Zoomers (good and bad) but one thing that rings true is the fact that they know their technology. If you have a question about how to work an iPhone just ask a Zoomer and they will answer your question immediately. If you need a PowerPoint presentation put together just ask a Zoomer and they will throw one together for you in 20 minutes (with graphics and sound).

Being tech-savvy doesn't always mean they want the latest inventions in technology. Zoomers are bringing back popular trends from the early 2000s. Not only are they bringing back fashion trends but also technology. One such item is the digital camera. As the older generations are using their iPhones to take nice pictures, Zoomers are buying digital cameras for nostalgic reasons and also because the images are more clear and crisp. 

"More than 60% of Gen Z used or owned a digital camera in 2019, according to Statista. The digital camera market is also expected to grow about 2% annually through 2028, and it’s likely Gen Z has a hand in it" (Khan et al., 2023). 

The instant gratification that society is so used to has been exchanged for delayed gratification with digital cameras. Users have to wait until they get to a desktop or laptop computer to upload images which may not be instantaneous.

Society expects Generation Z to be the most tech-savvy and that means they are expected to use the latest technological advancements. It seems this younger generation wants to do things their own way and initiate an anti-establishment trend.

Reference: 

Khan, M., Capoot, A., & Piazza, J. (2023, October 18). How gen Z uses technology - flip phones, digital cameras, voice memos. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/17/how-genz-uses-tech-flip-phones-digital-cameras-voice-memos.html